1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retractable system for protecting penetrations in buildings, and particularly to a retractable, flexible, low-profile, solar, insect, thermal, and storm protection system for windows and doors. The present invention enables a storage and deployment mechanism for roll-up storm protection screens that is approximately 70% smaller than conventional systems while containing approximately 50% greater vertical length of material. This smaller size eases installation and reduces the aesthetic impact of the system on the installation site. Space savings are maintained or improved as the size of the system increases, e.g., to protect larger openings.
2. Background of Related Art
Systems exist that attempt to mitigate damage to structures during inclement weather such as hurricanes, cyclones, nor'easters, and thunderstorms. These types of weather systems can carry with them high winds, hail, sleet, and driving rain. High winds can damage structures not only by creating high pressure forces and, for example, blowing windows out, but also by causing loose material and debris to become missiles impacting the structure. In addition, high winds can create driving rain that can penetrate, among other things, window and door seals causing flooding and water damage to the structure.
“Bahama,” or colonial-type, conventional storm shutters have been used in an attempt to protect windows and doors during storms. These shutters are typically constructed of a rigid material such as, for example, wood, plastic, or metal, and are sized to cover the opening they protect. These types of shutters typically use a heavy and awkward safety bar to secure the shutters for use. Due in part to their custom construction, however, Bahama storm shutters tend to be expensive, heavy, and can be difficult to deploy.
Aluminum roll-up shutter systems are also available. These systems use multiple aluminum panels joined by hinges or pins to form a substantially solid but flexible curtain, similar to a roll-up garage door. These systems are generally available with electric or manual crank deployment. Due to the thickness of the aluminum panels, however, the systems tend to be heavy. Additionally, due to the limited range of motion of the hinges that join the panels, the take-up rolls that store aluminum shutters when not in use are large. As a result, the enclosures for these systems are necessarily large and cumbersome. This makes installation difficult and detracts from the aesthetics of the building on which they are installed. In addition, aluminum roll-up systems are opaque and block most, if not all, of the natural light from the building when deployed. This provides a dark and unpleasant experience to the user, especially given that the power to the building is likely out.
In an attempt to reduce cost and increase protection, retractable storm protection systems have been developed. These systems typically use a strong, flexible, fabric curtain or screen made of, for example, polypropylene, PVC, Kevlar®, Mylar®, or hybrids thereof. The systems can further comprise a retracting mechanism and a housing in which to store the screen when not in use. The screen is deployed to cover the window and is generally retained in vertical tracks installed in, or on, the window opening. Conventionally, the screen is retained in the track either by sewing a hem cord to the vertical sides of the curtain (as used herein, the “hem cord method”), or simply by folding the curtain over on itself to form a hem (as used herein, the “hem-only method”).
At one end of the spectrum, a hem cord sewn to the edges of the curtain enables the curtain to be retained in a slotted track because the slot is considerably smaller than the diameter of the hem cord. This method retains the curtain in the track at fairly high forces because the diameter of the hem cord is sufficiently large when compared to the slot in the track. Unfortunately, the thick, stiff hem cord requires a large diameter take-up roll on which to retract the curtain (i.e., when the curtain is not deployed). This, in turn, necessitates a large housing, increasing installation difficulty and detracting from the aesthetics of the building, among other things.
At the other end of the spectrum, the hem-only method involves a hem sewn into the edge of the curtain that can enable it to be retained in a sufficiently small slot in the track. Because the hem is generally only approximately twice the thickness of the fabric itself, this method has a limited ability to retain the curtain in the track. As a result, the application of such systems is limited to smaller openings to minimize pressure forces on the curtain. In other words, at larger opening sizes, such as a large door, the force created by high winds can exceed the ability of the system to retain the curtain. Additionally, the necessarily tight slot in the retaining track can cause jams and hinder operation when deploying or retracting the curtain.
What is needed, therefore, is a system that combines the retention strength of the conventional hem cord system, with the reduced storage requirements of the hem-only method. It is to such a system that embodiments of the present invention are primarily directed.